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Why Mastery is Important for Males
Physiological rewards
We have seen that movement and games are extremely powerful for the male brain. Much of the game-based movement that attracts boys requires a high level of precise accuracy in bodily/kinesthetic movement or the manipulation of objects in space. For participants, winning the game and receiving the pleasurable "testosterone blast" that accompanies success is directly related to how well the skills are mastered.
Also highlighted in a previous newsletter was the importance of challenge for boys. The need for mastery forms the basis for boys' search for challenge. Challenges are often sought precisely because they can help boys develop and demonstrate mastery in areas that are important to them. This in turn drives him to attain the skills necessary to achieve that mastery.
The key question: "What's it for?" Why is mastery such an important need for boys? Why does the male ego seem to need to control objects, circumstances, and indeed, people? And how is this relevant in a school classroom? I believe these questions lead us to one of the core differences between males and females, and one of the sources of greatest misunderstanding and frustration for teachers trying to help struggling boys learn: the issue of utility. When confronted with the same situation, boys and girls will ask different questions about it. For girls, the question tends to be "What's it like?" They seek to understand the qualities of a person, place, or thing so that they can understand how to relate to it. On the other hand, boys ask: "What's it for?" They want to understand how to use it and what effects they can create with it. When you hear a young boy speak about anything of interest, listen closely and see if he doesn't describe it in terms of what it does and how you can use it. A young girl is much more likely to describe something by describing its characteristics and how it fits into a social situation.  "Where do I use it today?" Millennia in a hunter/gatherer societies evolved male brain wiring to pay close attention to the practical usefulness of people, places and things in the struggle to survive. Large social groups were not of value unless everyone had a specific role and contribution to make. You developed your skills as hunter before you were allowed to hunt, often going through a long apprenticeship to make sure that you were ready to contribute to the hunt when the time came. 
As societies evolved from agricultural to industrial so did this practice, but the value of skill mastery for practical applications was always present, whether in the guilds of the middle ages or the farmers and factory workers of the 20th century.  Yet most of the boys who don't perform in school in our era simply don't see the mastery of classroom skills as having practical value to them. In other words, they can't answer the question: "What's it used for?" | 
An ongoing series sharing with you exciting findings from the research on my new book to help you get the boys in your class to reach their true potential!
